Ben Gibson features: Burnley FC's 5 biggest transfer flop signings from recent times | OneFootball

Ben Gibson features: Burnley FC's 5 biggest transfer flop signings from recent times | OneFootball

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·7 September 2024

Ben Gibson features: Burnley FC's 5 biggest transfer flop signings from recent times

Article image:Ben Gibson features: Burnley FC's 5 biggest transfer flop signings from recent times

FLW takes a look at five disappointing signings that have played for Burnley in the last decade.

Burnley have made some very good signings in the last 10 years, but they have also made a few which did not turn out to be quite as successful.


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The Clarets will reflect positively on signings like Steven Defour, Josh Brownhill, and Wilson Odobert, but others aren't as fondly remembered at Turf Moor.

Burnley have made a few underwhelming loan signings over the years, including Danny Drinkwater and Patrick Bamford, while they have also made permanent additions which have not turned out to be good pieces of business.

Let's take a look at five players that Burnley spent money on signing who turned out to be transfer flops.

Ben Gibson

Article image:Ben Gibson features: Burnley FC's 5 biggest transfer flop signings from recent times

Centre-back Ben Gibson signed for Burnley from Middlesbrough for £15 million in the summer of 2018.

He made just six appearances in all competitions for the Clarets, and while he did score in a 5-1 defeat against Everton during his only Premier League appearance for the club, that was about as good as it got for him at Turf Moor.

In the first leg of Burnley's Europa League Qualifying tie against Olympiacos in 2018, Gibson was sent off after picking up two yellow cards, before the Greek side went on to progress to the group stage.

The 31-year-old left Burnley to sign for Norwich City in a deal worth a reported £8 million in 2021, bringing an end to his uninspiring spell in East Lancashire.

Darko Churlinov

Article image:Ben Gibson features: Burnley FC's 5 biggest transfer flop signings from recent times

North Macedonia international Darko Churlinov signed for Burnley from VfB Stuttgart for an undisclosed fee during the summer transfer window in 2022.

The winger, who has 25 caps for his country, is yet to score a goal or provide an assist for the Clarets.

He was sent on loan to Schalke 04 for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, but the German side did not take up their option to make the move permanent.

Churlinov has joined Polish outfit Jagiellonia Bialystok on loan for the 2024/25 season and it seems unlikely that he will ever turn things around at Turf Moor.

Jelle Vossen

Article image:Ben Gibson features: Burnley FC's 5 biggest transfer flop signings from recent times

Having just helped Middlesbrough reach the Championship play-off final during the previous season, Jelle Vossen signed for Burnley from Genk for a fee of around £2.5 million in 2015.

After failing to score in five appearances for the club, Vossen left Burnley during the same summer in which he signed for the club, joining Club Brugge for a similar fee to the one the Clarets spent on bringing him to Turf Moor.

Vossen apologised to Burnley fans following his departure, explaining that he and his family had struggled with the permanent move to England, which was the reason for him returning to his homeland.

Rouwen Hennings

Article image:Ben Gibson features: Burnley FC's 5 biggest transfer flop signings from recent times

Burnley signed German striker Rouwen Hennings from Karlsruher for a fee reportedly in the region of £3 million in 2015.

He scored two goals in 28 appearances in all competitions for the Clarets as they won the Championship title during the 2015/16 campaign, mainly featuring from the bench throughout the season.

The forward left Turf Moor to join Fortuna Düsseldorf on a free transfer in 2017, having started just four games during his time at Burnley, meaning his reported transfer fee worked out at roughly £750k for each start he made and around £1.5 million per goal he scored.

Lukas Jutkiewicz

Article image:Ben Gibson features: Burnley FC's 5 biggest transfer flop signings from recent times

Burnley signed striker Lukas Jutkiewicz from Middlesbrough for a reported fee of £1.5 million in the summer of 2014, following the Clarets' promotion to the Premier League.

The 35-year-old struggled with injuries during his time at Turf Moor and did not score a single goal in 35 appearances for the club.

He joined Birmingham City for £1 million during the 2016/17 season, bringing his disappointing spell at Burnley to an end.

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